Through the Seattle Rain
by Spiffeh
Summary: And now that she was almost ready to leave, she wasn’t ready at all." Companion to Comfort in Letters. Snickers, yay!
1. Default Chapter

Uh...hi everyone. This story sort-of goes along with Comfort in Letters.Thanks to everyone who reviewed that, by the way. Remember, I'm leaving that as a one-chapter story.

This, however, should be a bunch of chapters. Not quite sure how many. Please, please, please review, **polite and constructive comments are my favorites**. Anyways, read away and have fun.

Disclaimer: Not mine, yada yada yada.

* * *

When she received the offer, she had jumped at the chance. A new start to a new life in a new place. That was the easy part. The hard part had been breaking the news to the others.

It was funny how much people could change in five years. They could hate you in the beginning but treat you like family in the end. You could keep your distance or make everything worse. For some reason, however many doubts or disliking that anyone had about her, they weren't showing now.

They hadn't taken the news particularly badly, but not particularly well, either. Of course, they'd come to know her as part of their family, though there were some new tensions between them and some old ones kept popping back up, but they were shocked, to say the least, to find out that one of their best was leaving their lab. They had been sitting in silence for three minutes before shift was over and for once, she was glad to get away from work, to go home. She needed to start packing; she had a week to get to the new lab. They offered her more time, but she said she could be there in a week. She'd already started looking at apartments, a week ago, using her three-day break to look for some place to live.

And now that she was almost ready to leave, she wasn't ready at all. Nick had looked at her with those eyes, melting her heart and making her feel guilty about running away from her life and her problems. He put a hand on her shoulder to let her know that he understood but she still couldn't face him. She couldn't bear the pained expression on his face or the tears sliding down his face, or his saddening goodbye.

He had come to her apartment the day she was set to leave, to catch a plane to her new apartment, away from him. He had begged her to stay, and memories kept flooding back to her, how he had been her only friend when she had first arrived, how he had helped her throughout the days they had worked together on the night shift. He had helped her load boxes onto the moving truck and had gone with her when she'd talked to Ecklie. He had been there for her.

Any signs of affection he showed her were shaken off. She was upset; miserable and guilt-ridden. She said she had to leave, she had a plane to catch. She had breezed by, but he'd caught her shoulder and pulled her close. He kissed the top of her head and said that he would miss her, asked for her address so he could write. He drove her to the airport and waited two hours before she boarded the plane. He wished her good luck. She had to walk away and never look back, or she knew she wouldn't be able to leave.

The others were considerate enough. Brass told her to call and if she didn't, he would. He'd come to regard her as a daughter, since his Ellie hadn't regarded him as a father. Warrick offered a pat on the back and a smile. Theirs had been, possibly, the hardest friendship to forge when she had arrived, since she had been hired originally to investigate him. Greg had looked at her with his puppy dog eyes. He gave her a brave grin as she planted a peck on his cheek and placed a hand on his shoulder. Even Catherine had dragged in a rebellious now thirteen year-old Lindsey. She apologized for any faults which Sara could see was hard for her to do. Sara said that now she would have to argue with Sophia or one of the guys. Catherine rolled her eyes and told her that it wouldn't be that hard to do.

But Grissom was different. He was sitting in his office on her last day. She came in to tell him goodbye.

"Goodbye, Sara…" he had trailed off, then looked up, as if he would say something, but just told her good luck as she walked out of the door.

Now she was on the plane, and it was about to touch down.The previous week's events kept playing over in her mind. The day she arrived in Vegas was planted in her mind as she wondered if Seattle would be the same.

A slight rain was falling as she stepped off the plane into Sea-Tac Airport, her new job, and her new life.

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Not too horrid, eh? 


	2. Chapter 2

Ummm...I guess it's a kinda sad story. It doesn't really make much sense, but read if you want.  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Oh, and I hardly ever read any of the comments.

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Her hands are on his shoulders, telling him he can't let it get to him. She shakes her head, turning back and talking to him, and I look away from the other room. It kills me to see them like this, to see her like this. It was hard enough before, and this just tops it off. I turn back, looking through the window in the door. I see something on her face, something almost unreadable for her; fear. It had never been there before.

And then something else was apparent, something that tore me apart. It was bad enough for him, for him to be afraid, but for her, I broke. A tear rolled down her cheek as she clenched her fist and closed her eyes, blinking back her misery. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder, and I knew that he, like me, was restraining his tears to pray for her.

_Well, I couldn't tell you  
Why she felt that way  
She felt it everyday  
And I couldn't help her_

It was all I could do not to rush in and hug her, cry with her, tell her it would be all right. I could barely stand it from here, and I had to look down so if anyone came in they wouldn't see my tears.

They both take a deep breath, straighten themselves. She wipes her face, and his, and they laugh nervously, smiling sadly. He sits back down and gets ready to do his job, and she leaves the room to go wash her face.

_Sometimes the night can be so dark and cold  
No one beside you  
And no one to hold  
Hold on, hold on_

I was waiting for her outside of the bathroom. She walked quickly out, but stopped abruptly in front of me. I gave her a weak smile, breath shuddering slightly.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Her lips twitched upward slightly, yet she glanced downward and I could tell what she was remembering that day a few weeks ago.

_We pulled him out of Grissom's office, Catherine cursing Ecklie and the rest of us smiling at him, complimenting him and congratulating him on finally becoming a CSI, the moment he dreamed about ruined by an uncaring, cold figure. We were able to toast him, and after shift finally go to breakfast. She had been quiet the whole time, looking downwards. It had been unnoticed by the rest of them, only a quick glance her direction as they focused their attention on him. After a while everyone else had gone, leaving only us. He had gone, shaking his head because of the busy day that he had his dreams come true. Cups of coffee in front of us, she sat across from me and smiled feebly. _

"_He seems really happy."_

_I had nodded, paying attention to her face._

"_What's wrong?"_

_She looked up, eyes still pointed downward as if to hide something. She could cry in front of me, scream in front of me, whatever, whenever she needed, but she didn't know._

"_Today…reminded me of how it used to be. I miss it, Nick, I really do."_

_I had reached across the table and grabbed her hand as she let out a sniffle._

"_I know it wasn't perfect before. I know when I first came here, I didn't fit in. I guess I never really did, but…it was fine. Perfectly fine. I knew you all, I could even trust you. I miss it. I miss you and Warrick, your competition, and how Cath could get Grissom to do anything. I miss Greg and you flirting over me, everyone telling me I needed a life. Nothing will ever be the same."_

_We cried together that day. I knew that the only thing keeping her together had fallen apart and though she had been deteriorating before, that day her world had come crashing down with the realization that how our lives used to be were gone. It was as if somebody had stuck a knife in me; Sara, our Sara, was falling apart, and we couldn't do anything about it. We sat there in the diner, barely able to choke back our sobs, tears streaming silently down our faces._

"_I know that it wasn't the best. I know in the beginning Cath and Warrick stayed away from me, and you were my only real friend then. But it got better. I can remember the good times. When you knew where I was when Cath was kidnapped. When Warrick and I became friends. When Catherine was like my older sister, and you all protected me. We protected each other, Nick, and Ecklie just comes in and ruins it!"_

_The coffee was cold now, blotchy-faced friends finding each other when they needed it._

"_I know Grissom could be insensitive, that he wasn't a people person. But he was never the victim."_

_I squeezed her hand tighter._

"_It wasn't perfect, but I want my old life, my family back."_

I couldn't believe that Sara, the one I had fallen for, who had initially been bubbly and bright, though somewhat of a loner, was crying. She didn't cry, hardly ever. Only when a case got to her; the women beaten to death. She knew that I had a hard time with the children's cases, and we knew there was something we were both keeping, but it was okay.

I took her hands, then pulled her into a hug, and soon we were both standing there, caught in an embrace, trying to hold back the tears. I noticed Greg watching, smiling sadly. A lopsided grin was apparent on her face, and I knew that she was playing sister to him. She was an only child, but she and Greg were like siblings. He walked over and she pulled him into the hug.

"Thank you."

Later as I sat in my car, leaning back, I noticed Sara come out of the building. She saw me and came around to the passenger seat and stared ahead.

"You guys were like family, and when Ecklie broke us up all the bad memories, everything bad that ever happened came back to me."

I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sara, it's okay to cry in front of someone who loves you."

She smiled slightly before letting it all go, and I knew everything would be fine someday.

_Show me your shadows  
Let down the guard that you hold so high  
Come all unraveled  
Give me the pieces you always hide _

I will not judge you  
I will not run  
When you let me see you come undone  
Uncover your secrets  
Give me your trust

_Oh, my love is strong enough  
For your shadows _

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Sorta sad, huh? If you were wondering, "he" is Greg and "she" is obviously Sara. What's going on with Sara and Greg is just friendship, heh.

The songs lyric blurbs are "Nobody's Home" by Avril Lavigne, "When you Cry" by Faith Hill, and "Shadows" by Faith Hill, respectively.


End file.
